North, South Korea begin removing landmines along fortified border

IMG_9296

SEOUL (Reuters) – Troops from North and South Korea began removing some landmines along their heavily fortified border on Monday, the South’s defense ministry said, in a pact to reduce tension and build trust on the divided peninsula.

Project details were agreed during last month’s summit in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, between its leader, Kim Jong Un, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

In a statement, the ministry said the two sides agreed to remove all landmines in the so-called Joint Security Area (JSA) in Panmunjom within the next 20 days, with military engineers performing the hazardous task on the South Korean side.

There was no immediate confirmation from North Korea that its troops had begun the process.

Continue reading… “North, South Korea begin removing landmines along fortified border”

Genetically engineered mice can detect explosives 500 times better than normal mice

Scientists inserted a gene into odor sensing neurons in mice that could drastically increase their ability to smell TNT.

Mice have been genetically modified by scientists in hopes of increasing their ability to smell TNT with 500 times the sensitivity of normal mice. If successful, the mice could provide a cheap and effective way to sniff out landmines and other explosive devices that haunt nations all over the world.

 

 

Continue reading… “Genetically engineered mice can detect explosives 500 times better than normal mice”